A Heart for the Working Class

“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” –James 5:4

My generation is one that has grown up with a large number of corporate scandals. The most famous one was Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal that cost thousands of people their jobs and their retirement plans. As a result of this and other scandals, we have become very conscious about corporate responsibility, especially making sure that people are treated with honesty and respect in the work place. This is a very good thing.

What we see here is that this is a reflection of the heart of God. While there will always be differences in pay scales in this world, it does not mean that people should not be treated appropriately and fairly. God desires for business owners and bosses to treat their employees fairly, even when it may mean personal sacrifice.

It is tempting for me to drift to tangents in this discussion about when and where unions are a good or bad idea, but that is not the point of this Scripture. The point is that when we are put in positions where we lead others in the workplace, we are called to treat them fairly. If we cheat them, there will be both earthly and eternal consequences.

Does your heart towards those who have served under you reflect the heart of God, so that you treat them fairly and with respect?